Modern transportation, running on non-renewable fuels, faces a challenge from depleting fuel reserves, rising fuel costs, and tighter emission norms. Such challenges have led to an increased awareness among vehicle owners and manufacturers of the need to conserve energy resources, causing excessive fuel consumption in vehicles to be a major concern that needs to be addressed.
Many of the factors contributing to excessive fuel consumption are related to the total weight of the vehicle, engine capacity, engine or vehicular design, etc. One aspect of excessive fuel consumption, however, lies in an individual's driving behavior, which is often overlooked.
An individual's driving pattern may vary over time and may periodically cause excessive throttle movement and improper braking during acceleration or deceleration maneuvers, respectively. Such a condition may not only cause discomfort to the vehicle's occupants, but may also contribute significantly to excessive fuel consumption, leading to the depletion in the vehicle's fuel supply.
Currently, quantities of training materials and modules for training drivers are available on the internet and in other media. None of these materials, however, teaches an efficient way of controlling the throttle and brake pedals to improve fuel economy. Smooth throttle control and steady braking are teachable skills that can be learned with the correct course of instruction.
Room for improvement thus exists to teach and train a driver to improve her fuel efficiency. One solution lies in a real time driver coaching or teaching method, and it would accordingly be desirable to have a driver's training system, which is operated from within vehicular confines. Such a system would enable real time learning, consequently leading to improvements in the vehicle's overall fuel economy.